How we deliver legal services

Our legal clinic is a small office serving all of Halton. We are unable to provide services in all areas of the law. Even in the areas of law we practice, the demand for our service is greater than we can meet but we try to help as many people as we can.

The level of service a client receives is determined on a case by case basis.

Summary Advice

An important part of the clinic legal services policy is the promotion of self-help. Whenever possible a caseworker will give you one time advice that will include a legal opinion on your situation and practical direction on the steps you should take to solve your problem on your own.

Brief Service

When just one phone call is not enough, a caseworker may provide further help like reviewing legal documents or assisting with their completion, doing research, helping you to prepare your case so you can represent yourself at the Landlord and Tenant Board, the Board of Referees or before the Social Benefits Tribunal.

Representation

About 2000 people contact us for help every year. We provide full services through a traditional solicitor client relationship to approximately 1 out of every 10 callers or 200 people a year.

Representation is provided to the clients who we think need our help the most, where the legal issues are complicated, where a negative outcome would be harmful to the client and their family, or when the client cannot do it on their own.

Referrals

If you contact us about an area of law we do not practice, you will be referred out to other legal service providers. Referrals are made to the Legal Aid Area Office, the Legal Aid Advice lawyers, Duty counsel and the Lawyer Referral Service.

If you live outside of Halton we will refer you to the clinic or legal aid office where you live.

We also make many referrals to other community agencies like food banks, counselling services and crisis intervention services.

Tenant Duty Counsel Program

Every Friday when hearings are scheduled before the Landlord and Tenant Board, Halton Community Legal sends a caseworker to the Board site to provide Tenant Duty Counsel Services. This is part of a program that assists tenants with free legal services. The Tenant Duty Counsel program operates for tenants across Ontario and is coordinated from the Advocacy Centre for Tenants, Ontario.

On the day of the hearings Tenant Duty Counsel tries to provide summary legal advice to as many tenants in need of advice as is possible consistent with quality service and to provide legal services to assist vulnerable tenants